Canadian art and stories – through a distinctly Canadian art experience.
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection offers its visitors a unique and truly Canadian experience. From the art within its walls to the surrounding landscape, the McMichael is the perfect gallery for an introduction to Canada’s art, its peoples, their cultures and their history.
Renowned for its devotion to collecting and exhibiting only Canadian art, the McMichael permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Inuit and other artists who have made a contribution to Canada’s artistic heritage.
The gallery welcomes on average 120,000 visitors annually.
100% Canadian Content
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is the only major public art gallery devoted solely to the collecting and exhibiting of Canadian art. The gallery offers visitors the unique opportunity to enjoy Canadian landscape paintings in the woodland setting that inspired them.
Built of fieldstone and hand-hewn logs, the McMichael houses thirteen exhibition galleries and is situated amid 100 acres of serene conservation land. Floor-to-ceiling windows enable visitors to enjoy marvellous views of the densely wooded Humber River Valley.
Through a network of outdoor paths and hiking trails, visitors can discover outdoor sculptures and wander the McMichael Cemetery where six Group of Seven members and gallery co-founder Robert McMichael have been laid to rest.
See. Do. Discover.
The McMichael displays a wide range of exhibitions each year, and offers a stimulating array of programs and events for people of all ages. They include curators’ lectures, tours, music performances, kids’ camps, workshops, school programs and hands-on art activities.
Experience Canada in a day at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
A Word from Our Executive Director
Following an unusually frosty winter, the first hints of spring are finally showing themselves on the McMichael grounds. In the spirit of renewal and rejuvenation, we have put together an exciting line-up of programs and new spring and summer exhibitions; Kenojuak: From Drawing to Print, A Climate for Change and the Joe Fafard retrospective.
We begin our spring exhibition season with the wonderful works of Kenojuak Ashevak in Kenojuak: From Drawing to Print. This exhibition is a remarkable look at the transformation of Kenojuak’s drawings—most of which are rarely exhibited due to their sensitivity to light—into print form.
A new series of educational exhibits, focusing on our youth and current contemporary issues, can be found in our Discovery Space gallery this spring. A Climate for Change, the first in the series, is a display of over 20 works from aspiring young artists from schools across Canada. The exhibit explores current environmental issues in the context of the Group of Seven’s artistic philosophies.
I am very excited to announce that this summer, the ever popular Joe Fafard travelling
exhibition, curated by Terrence Heath and organized by the National Gallery of Canada
and the MacKenzie Art Gallery, will be coming to the McMichael! Joe Fafard, one of Canada’s
most beloved and nationally acclaimed artists, will be featured in a revealing exhibition that
will look at the art, life and critical contributions made by this influential artist.
The McMichael is currently undergoing renovations in order to achieve Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. In an effort to become more
environmentally friendly, we’ll be installing energy efficient lighting throughout the gallery
and soon—solar panels. Renovations and improvements will be ongoing until the end of
this year. Make sure you visit the McMichael shortly to take a look at our new ‘greener’
gallery space—just in time for our busy spring and summer season.
As always, I wish to thank everyone for their generous support and I encourage you to
participate in the exhibitions and programs that are outlined in this edition of Sketches.
I would also like to encourage you to visit our Web site, www.mcmichael.com on a regular
basis for the most up-to-date information on upcoming events, exhibits and programs.
Tom Smart
Executive Director and CEO
Image Credit: Tom Sandler
